Our Work – 2023 – Advocacy to Legacy

OUR WORK - 2023

Keney Park – Jewel of the City – Health Wellness & Safety

This is the 3rd year Advocacy to Legacy has held the Keney Park – Jewel of the City – Health Wellness & Safety event (7/8/2023). Thanks to Hartford Health Initiative, our event partner, and our sponsors -Trinity Health, who sponsored the lunch for all the attendees, and City of Hartford, Health and Human Services Department. Thank you to all our community partners who came out to support us. The weather was beautiful and we had a great turnout.

We started the day off with a “Gratitude Walk”, where attendees walked one of the Keney Park trails, led by Gratitude Choice Project founder Nicola Chambers-Holder. Music was provided by Buy Radio. Keney Park Sustainable Project was on hand to give out fresh fruits and vegetables. UConn provided basic health screenings while the Oral Health Initiative gave out teeth hygiene kits. See pictures for some of the community partners that participated.

BENCHES

Benches, Benches, Benches…all over North Hartford. If you’ve seen these benches in North Hartford, Advocacy to Legacy in partnership with Ct Urbanist and Transport Hartford, have placed 7 benches in North Hartford based on high traffic bus stops. Benches are located on Albany Ave, Blue Hills Ave, Granby St.

New Proximity Law 2023

We, at Advocacy to Legacy, Inc. have been working on ending or reducing tobacco/nicotine use in the Greater Hartford area for the past five years. Our youth have worked tirelessly to encourage young people not to start smoking cigarettes or vaping because they understand the negative impact on families –especially as it relates to health outcomes and the cost of the products. Here are some of the activities we have led in 2023:

New Proximity Law – THEY DID IT AGAIN!.. effective July 1, 2023, the City of Hartford passed an ordinance stating that you cannot sell tobacco or cannabis products within 500 feet of a school. This was the project A2L students chose to work on for the 2022/23 school year. After researching tobacco retail density in Hartford, and coming up with many recommendations, this is the one they chose to pursue. Councilman Nick Lebron was the sponsor, who championed it through the Health Committee and brought it before the City Council who unanimously passed it.

BTS Presentation (PDF)

Policy Recommendation (PDF)

No Menthol Sunday 2023

No Menthol Sunday is the annual opportunity for faith institutions to address the detrimental impact tobacco has on Black communities. Each year, faith leaders are encouraged to dedicate this day to educating congregants about the harmful effects of smoking, vaping and the role of menthol and other flavors. This year “No Menthol Sunday” is Sunday, May 21, 2023. Over 13 churches handed out information on this day about tobacco cessation and one church mentioned it during service. Thanks to Phillips Metropolitan CME CHurch and Phillips Health Ministry for hosting the press conference of this event.

No Menthol Sunday Press Conference (PDF)

Social Media Graphics (PDF)

WALK AUDIT 2023

Walk Audit: Our goal was to analyze current safety conditions at this important neighborhood nexus: Albany Ave & Blue Hills Ave – from the community perspective. We walked Albany & Blue Hills Ave for about a 4 block radius. We had two walk audits: 1. Upper Albany Walk Audit team (3/21/23) and the other with 2. students from Martin Luther King School 8th grade. While walking, we talked about what we saw, took pictures, completed a survey then went into the Albany Ave Branch library for group discussion on how what we saw impacts the health and safety of our community.

Upper Albany Walk Audit Team: Advocacy to Legacy, Students from Achievement First & Martin Luther King Jr Middle School, Neighborhood Residents, Local Politician, Dept of Health & human Services staff, Transport Hartford/Center for Latino Progress, AARP Connecticut, City Officials – Public Works